Insert title here
by QuierdoMusic
Summary: This one is a co-product from me and my sis together. Sam and Dean are up against a pond gnome who’s able to control anybody it wants. Of course they get on its bad side and the notorious Winchester luck isn’t really helping as well. Completed now. R
1. Chapter 1

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**Okay… this story isn't mine… well… at least not everything… **

**I write it with my sis… **xkittybluex... **and we wanna see how you guys like it…**

**We have absolutely NO plan about that story… one of us began with about 150 words… the other continued… and this was how it went… until now… we didn't talk about it we just wrote… At least it's freaking me out…**

**Sis you wanna say something?**

**Apparently not… :D Her comment: "Nah…" She agrees with me… :P**

**Do we need a title, Sis?**

**Sis: "We don't even know what the story is about"…**

**Okay… so… NO title… **

**Well then… read and review.**

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The sun was too bright.

Or so it seemed to him when he exited the opening and thereby finally escaped the seemingly endless labyrinth of concrete walls and stinking sewage. His clothes were soaking and his wet hair sticking to his face. He was shivering and allowed the sun for a moment to warm his freezing skin.

He didn't have time for a breather though. He had to find his brother… and fast too. Because time was running out at a terrifying rate.

This whole thing was a mess… even for their screwed up lives. And he couldn't help but feel glad that for once it was his brother and not him who had gotten them into it. Because it had been his brother who had found the article in that tabloid paper and it had been his brother as well who suggested following the lead…

_Searching for a street name, Sam tried to remember where they got into the sewage system. L…Lud… But it was __in vain. He had probably hit his head harder when he fell than he had thought. _

_He gingerly touched the spot on the back of his head, where he guessed a wound. Looking at his hand, he recognized water and blood. _

_An old woman with a white dog was staring at him, but the man didn't even care. She looked frightened and… startled. Sam ignored her, swaying down the street. _

_Crap… his head hurt and Dean was god knew where. _

_Where did they agree on meeting up? _

_Running one hand over his forehead, Sam fished out his cell with the other. _

_It was dead…_

Now that was just their damn luck.

Then of course… cells didn't generally handle a bath that well and their phones usually didn't have that long of a life span anyway. Sam groaned in frustration and tossed the broken device in the old lady's direction who then turned and hurried away. What was it with people and their ingratitude? Did that woman even realize that they were trying to save her and the rest of this fucked up town? No, of course not. Kinda comes along with the job though, he guessed.

Sam skidded to a stop and leaned on a wall for a moment to overcome his dizziness. Truth to be told, he wasn't feeling that well, probably had a slight concussion too. He could almost see Dean in front of him, bossing him around to swallow this and that pill and to lie down. Dean acted like a mother hen when it came to things like that, but right now they – he – didn't have the time for first aid. His brother was still down there and whatever it was that had been killing these people… it was now after Dean.

_Why did Dean have to be so stupid? He had refused to do any research before he started the hunt. "People get lost Sam… We have absolutely no time for research. We already know enough… people just vanish in the sewage system." His brother had snapped. _

_Yeah… thanks… screw you Dean. The younger man thought. Next time when they would start a hunt he would tie Dean to a chair until they knew something… everything about that thing. _

_Sam pressed his fists hard against his forehead, covering his eyes to ease the pain, but it didn't work. _

_In pain and absolutely clueless the man let his gaze wander. When his eyes lingered on a telephone booth, he let out a deep breath… it was worth a try. _

_Unsteady he went over to the booth, dialing his brother's number._

_He could hear the dial tone... _

Nothing… of course nothing.

And that Dean didn't answer his phone could only mean three things… one, he was with female company, which was hard­ly probable seeing Dean would have told him. In addition to that his brother knew very well when he was allowed to have 'fun' and when he wasn't. And while on a hunt was a rather bad time to satisfy the needs of one's lower brain.

That of course left only two and three. Two - Dean was in a dangerous situation and couldn't talk. Three – he wasn't in any condition to take or make a call, either hurt or unconscious or maybe even dead. And even though Sam would have to try rather hard not to kill Dean, make a deal to get him back only to be able to kill him again for possibility one he liked it a lot better than two and three.

_But Sam couldn't… wouldn't believe that something had happened to his brother… not now. Dean wasn't supposed to die… so Sam wouldn't let him. _

_He dialed again, wondering why he could still remember that number, but not the place where he should meet Dean. "Pick up…" Sam urged. _

"_Mister… are you okay?" A sudden knock on the booth caused Sam to jerk. A young woman had opened the door, tilting her head at the bleeding and dripping man in front of her._

"_Yeah… I'm fine." Sam nodded, returning the phone to its cradle before leaving the small booth. _

_What should he do? Now there really was no time for research. He needed actions, but with his head bleeding like mad and a terrible dizziness, no weapons and absolutely no clue where to search, he felt like giving up. _

_He didn't even remember where they had parked the car, so he could arm himself again, since he had lost all his weapons, fighting that… thing…_

That thing was probably some kind of water sprite, seemingly able to control all kinds of liquid, including sewage and holy water. Yeah right, that it could. Almost drowned both of them.

That was probably when Sam had hit his head too, he didn't quite know.

All he remembered were flashes… of swallowing stinking water, the cold, gasping for air, when Dean finally fished him out, of Dean hovering over him, looking worried, a slight edge of fear in his voice when he heard him call his name over and over, again Dean telling him to get new weapons and to meet up at… Lud… Ludsomething, Dean telling him that he would go after it. Alone. Armed only with some iron rod he had picked up somewhere.

Crappy idea.

If Sam hadn't been that out of it he would have argued but by the time he was able to think coherently again, Dean was already gone. The only thing left for him had been to find his way out.

And now here he was… with everything his scrambled up brain was able to come up with being Dean's phone number and the first three letters of that damn street. At least he could still remember who he was, he thought bitterly, while scanning the area for anything familiar.

_Ouch. This wasn't fun anymore… His head hurt and so did his back. All he wanted to do was lay down and sleep… right now. _

_Though he really had no idea where he was and where he should go, his wobbling legs seemed to know his destination, when suddenly the Impala appeared in front of him. _

_The man let out a sigh of relief, supporting his weight on the hood of the car. He needed weapons…_

_Crap he didn't even have the key. _

_Swaying he tried to reach the other side of the car, but either because of the not so healthy water which he had swallowed or because of his injury he felt like he was going to be sick._

"_Sam… you forgot me?" A pissed voice barked at him. He turned around and there was his brother._

_He looked… fine. His short hair was wet with brown water, his clothes soaked __but except some scratches he seemed okay._

"_Dean" The younger man smile__d, before his vision went black but being caught by strong arms, he didn't hit the ground._

_A panicked "Sammy" was the last thing he heard._

It took three yelps for Sam to realize something was wrong. Dean was tending to his head wound as methodically and quick as he had always used to but the gentleness in his touches was missing. Sam's brother was radiating anger… no, not anger, Sam corrected himself, pure, indisputable rage. Dean was pissed the sprite thingy escaped, no doubt about that, but that was part of the job and therefore shouldn't upset him that much. Sam groaned when Dean bandaged his head, touch too rough for the caring brother he knew. Grimacing in pain he looked into Dean's eyes and cringed when he found nothing familiar there. This man… wasn't his brother.

It talked like Dean for sure, had his crappy humor, moved like him… but something just wasn't right with the whole picture. And Sam did something he never would have thought he would have to do… he laced Dean's beer with holy water.

_When Dean set the bottle on his lips, Sam bit his own under lip, expecting some kind of reaction, but nothing happened, no coughing, no spitting… big fat zero. The younger man let his head fall desperately. That __wasn't__ his brother damn it._

_He needed something else. "Christo." Sam looked closely at the other man, when he whispered the word. Dean didn't even hear it._

_Resigning, Sam gripped his jacket, heading to the door._

"_Where do you think you're going?" Dean barked, making Sam wince. _

"_I'm just gonna take a walk." Sam responded, checking whether he had Dean's cell on him._

"_Don't take too long." Dean said, sounding almost bored. "And bring something to eat."_

_Outside Sam searched for Bobby's number in the cell._

"_Hey Dean… what's up?" Bobby answered._

"_It's me… Bobby… I have a problem… it's Dean… he isn't himself anymore." Sam whispered nervously, eying the door, __as if he expected Dean to come out._

"_Sam? That you, son?"_

"Yeah, yeah", Sam ran a hand through his shaggy hair and sighed. "I don't know what to do, Bobby. I tried holy water but…"

"_Shut up for a moment would ya?"_, Bobby interrupted. "_You're alright, aren't you, Sam?"_

"I guess… aside Dean going crazy, which kinda poses a problem to me", Sam raised his brow, a little taken aback, "why wouldn't I be?"

The line crackled, when Bobby sighed. _"You know you're brother called me… a few hours ago, he told me that he was on a hunt and that something was wrong with you, that you hit your head and were somewhat out of it. He was worried, real worried and told me to come check on you because he was… delayed, told me the address too but about fifteen minutes later when I was just about to start the car, he called again and told me to forget about it. Thought it was strange. That wasn't him anymore then, I guess."_

"I don't know what's up with him, seriously. He seems angry… barks orders at me like dad did when we were young, I just don't get it. I got him to drink some holy water but nothing happened. Can't be possession."

"_What were you hunting?"_

"I don't know… or I forgot… guess I earned myself a concussion."

"_Water… D__ean said something bout water… and sewage."_

Sam scratched his head. "Yeah we were in the sewers. It's some creature that's able control water."

"…_and mess with people's brains",_ Bobby added. He was thinking for a moment, then he spoke again. _"Sam, I think I know what it is…"_

"_What?" Sam asked urgently. The headache was back, worse__ even than before. __Don't be a wuss, the man__ thought, massaging both his temples with thumb and forefinger. _

"It's a pond-gnome, Sam. Centuries ago they were said to be hiding in the ponds near the larger settlements, waiting for somebody they could either use to lure other people or to drown…"_ Bobby answered; hearing rustling in the background, Sam guessed that the older man was searching for something. _"They can control water… well they can control pretty much anything liquid and they're able to make people do what they want."

"_So how can I waste that thing and free Dean?" Sam asked, ra__ising his eyebrows._

"Honestly… I have no idea… these things are… rare… I haven't met a hunter yet who has seen anything like that."_ Bobby muttered._

"_That's great… we're first… what __great honor", the young hunter stated sarcastically._

"Sam… I'm sorry…"_ Bobby apologized. _"Call me as soon as you find anything. I'm gonna keep looking myself – it is Dean after all."

"_Thanks __anyway, Bobby." Sam sighed._

_After taking a deep breath, __he finally stepped back into the motel room._

_In the… empty… motel room. _

Dean_?_

_Sam __scanned the room for his brother, when he saw a note on the desk._

'_Help'__, i__t read._

Sam felt something constrict within his chest when he took the small slip of paper in his hand. It was his brother's handwriting alright, but too shaky, which meant probably that the thing controlling him wasn't too keen of its vessel communicating.

It confused Sam, though, because he knew Dean and his brother would rather tell him to leave and get the hell out of his way than actually ask for help. Unless…

Sam's eyes grew wide when he leaned in to take a closer look at the note. There, the small curls beneath the letters that looked like they had been made just out of sloppiness. Crossing a line here, adding another there... It was a clue; Dean had left him a clue.

Sam grabbed a pen and connected the dots, until the slip of paper read something else. Satisfied Sam picked up his brother's cell again, pressing redial. There were no further words of greeting when his older hunter friend picked up the phone. "Dean left a clue, Bobby. 'Fire', it's vulnerable to fire."

"How did he do that?", _Bobby asked suspiciously._

"_Writing a note." Sam looked at the note again. His brother had struggled to write that note… probably in pain, trembling like that._

"He wrote a note?"_ The older hunter didn't seem convinced. _"And Sam… why do you think he knows how to waste that thing?"

"_Bobby… I know how Dean thinks… and that __is__ a clue from my brother", Sam defended himself. "And hell… perhaps he can read the gnome's thoughts."_

"Sam… I'm just saying… well… I don't know how Dean would be able to fight it"_, Bobby reasoned._

"_Damn it Bobby… it's Dean… he would be able to fight __anything." Sam barked. "Sorry…", he apologized immediately after. "It's just… I really believe that this was him."_

"I'm just saying you need to be careful… it might be a trap"_, Bobby stated._

"_So?" Sam was beyond depressed. "Should I just ignore the fact that Dean's gone and that he __did only leave a note?" He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to calm himself down a little. To fight with Bobby didn't actually help his mood._

"No… but Sam… think again! You brother's possessed"_, Bobby murmured._

"_I guess…", Sam broke off. He was beginning to get really annoyed, not knowing what to believe._

_But Bobby was right._

_Kinda._

_Dean couldn't fight that thing, when he__'d had to patch him up. He hadn't been able to fight this thing when Sam was hurting, so why now?_

"_Bobby… the note was smeared." Sam hit his head. "It read help… perhaps Dean fought _not_ to write the note."_

"_That's exactly what I was trying to tell ya."_ Sam heard Bobby snort over the line. _"Now would you do me a favor and be a _tad_ more considerate?"_

Sam sighed. "I'm trying, Bobby, but…"

"…it's Dean", the line crackled when Bobby took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sam, if you need me to come help…"

"It's okay", Sam responded, almost a little too fast, "I got it covered."

"Sam…", Bobby growled in that deep voice of his, "you'll have to keep a cool head here, son and I'm not quite sure…"

Sam interrupted him impatiently. "I don't need you to come over here, Bobby, I can perfectly well take care of myself, okay? What I do need is more intel on that thing. I mean why would it want to make me believe it can be killed with fire?"

"_I told you I don't __know_ shit_ about this thing! And I'm sorry, Sam, but that won't change the facts here. You're being too reckless here, son! I'm afraid that'll take a bad end."_

"Fine!", Sam spat, "then I'll do it on my own!"

_After Sam hung up, he glared at the phone for a while. _I'm afraid that'll take a bad end_. Bobby's voice repeated itself in his head over and over again, like a broken record. Screw that… Bobby didn't know everything and this was about Dean… his brother was apparently in trouble and Sam would do anything to kill that evil son of a bitch to save Dean._

_Fire… He thought… well… okay… if that thing would back away from fire he still had the problem that he didn't know where that thing was and that he couldn't aim fire at his brother's body, since Dean was bound to be still in there somewhere. _

_Still__ the young hunter gripped a deodorant and a lighter, the only useful things he could find right at the moment. "Okay Dean… where are you?" He whispered to himself, checking whether the lighter worked or not._

"_Right here Sammy…" Sam turned around, facing a smirking Dean, who had a gun aimed at his younger brother. "You shouldn't have talked to Bobby…" _

"_Get back or…" Sam held the deodorant in front of him with a trembling hand, watching the weapon. _

"_Try it out… nothing's gonna happen."_

Sam lowered his arm slightly, realizing he wouldn't be able to set his own brother ablaze, regardless of what was possessing him. "Dean… please", he whispered, "you have to fight it."

Dean lowered the gun, flexing his muscles, still smirking, still that glint in his eyes that wasn't quite him. "Why would I, little brother. I feel great just now. All that _power_ pumping through my veins… I feel like a _god_. It's like I can do _anything_."

"Dean…"

"Why would you want to take that from me?", Dean blinked, tilting his head almost curiously at Sam. "Or is it… that maybe you don't want to grant me that? That you're jealous…?"

"That isn't you, Dean…"

Dean cut him off, obviously annoyed. "That's selfish of you, Sam!"

Sam sighed and dropped the lighter and the deodorant. It was a taunt; he realized now, a damn taunt. Because even _if_ fire worked, he couldn't use it with his brother's body shielding the damn thing. Unless… Sam hit his head, realization dawning upon him. It wasn't _possessing_ Dean, it was _controlling_ him - which meant it had to be _outside_ his body… where it was vulnerable. Sam licked his lips… and attacked. He had to get past Dean to where the gnome was… the sewers.

_His brother lunged at him at the sa__me time. Sam hit Dean's arm hard, wincing when he heard bursting bones. Dean let out a cry of pain, releasing the gun before cradling the arm to his chest, still trying to fight with the other hand. _

"_I'm sorry…" Sam whispered when he hit Dean's temple as hard as he could with his fist and his brother crumbled to the floor. _

_For a brief moment he looked down at him, feeling terrible. But then he huffed, fisting Dean's jacket, pulling him up, letting him fall onto a chair, so he could tie him up. His heart was racing. Dean's head was lulling to the side, his mouth slightly agape… a bruise already beginning to form on his head. _

_With Dean fully bound, Sam took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, before he left the room, heading towards the sewers._

He was anxious to say the least.  
He still knew close to nothing about the creature he was hunting let alone how to kill it and Dean was still back there in the motel room with a probable concussion, brought upon him by his own brother. Sam winced, that sure wasn't how they had thought it would go off. _Damn it, Dean_, Sam thought, _why did you get yourself caught? Why did you let yourself get distracted? _Of course Sam knew very well why and it was yet another reason for him to hate himself. The gnome had caught his brother off guard because Dean's thoughts had been with him, Sam, and his well-being. Dean had been worried, he always was when something happened to Sam, and that thing had used it to its advantage. Damn son of a bitch!

Sam stopped right in front of the opening he had exited earlier that day. _Bring it on_, he thought, switching on his flash-light and stepping into damp, smelly darkness.

_Ugh… why couldn't those things hide in nice alleys or something like that… it was stinking in here. Sam held his nose for a moment, when he went further into the darkness, the gun protectively in front of him._

_He had no idea how to kill that thing finally off… and he didn't know what would happen to his brother after killing this thing… Yeah… that was encouraging._

"_You son of a bitch… come out, come out, come out." Sam shouted, his voice in a sing-s__ong._

"_You're brave…" A voice echoed in the sewers._

"_You're not… show yourself…" Sam raised his voice also._

"_Why should I?" The voice laughed. "Invisibility is a gift… it's fun and it's an advantage…"_

"_Coward…" Sam breathed, glaring around, his eyes finally adapting to the darkness._

"_Well… I'm happy you came… at least I don't have to go after you… you know… there is nothing more precious than letting friends… lovers… or brothers fight…" The voice was scary now._

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**My Sis: "DO you have to write everything down, what I'm saying?"**

"**Yeah…"**

**Sis****: "That's scary"**

**Reviews please!**

**I love you, Tanne (Sis) :D**


	2. Chapter 2

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**Uhm… how many chapters can someone post on one day… **

**Okay… here's the next chapter from the story, I'm writing with my sis… this time with names… :D **

**Thanks to our reviewers.**

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-**tanne**-

"Yeah I bet", Sam muttered, eying his environment warily. "And if you'd be so kind as to release my brother I might just even spare your life."

"You _lie_, human", the voice said, sounding smug, "your kind always does."

"Really? Now listen hard, you freak. And be certain that you can take my word on that one. When this is over whoever comes down here to clean up will have to scratch your remains off the floor. Sorry to break it to you but you chose the wrong people to mess with, buddy."

"I don't think so", the voice said. "Still… you tied my toy to a chair… and now… he's broken", it sounded horribly amused.

Suddenly Sam felt nauseous. "Shut up."

The voice seemed somewhat pensive. "He just won't wake up", it continued.

"Now look who's lying now", Sam spat, unable to get rid of his growing anxiety though. Something caught his eye right behind him. He took a deep breath and grabbed the gun tighter, undoing the safety.

"We'll see", the voice said, now very close.

---

**-anna-**

_He turned around and pinned whatever was behind him against the wall. _

_The thing looked human, but it was smaller, like a youth. It smiled up to Sam, who pressed his gun against its temple. _

"_You lie", Sam shouted, hitting the head of the thing against the brick wall with a quick movement. _

"_You killed your brother…" The monster chuckled, there was no sign of fear. That startled Sam, who obviously had the better cards. "Now you're alone… all by yourself…"_

"_Shut…" Sam balled his fist and wanted to punch into the gnome's stomach, but his knuckles connected with the wall, when the thing disappeared. That was why it wasn't scared… Sam wasn't really a danger for it. _

"_Hey boy…" The gnome sat on the other side of the pipe, his legs dangling in the dirty water. "You know… we could just look whether your brother is already dead…" Sam balled his fists again, trembling with rage._

_But suddenly he felt his body move without him wanting to. _

"…_we could kill him if he's still alive. " The gnome grinned evilly, directing Sam's body, who couldn't do anything against it._

---

-**tanne**

_He's not dead, he's not dead_, Sam thought desperately, while the gnome continued, taunting him, now using his own voice. "You know, this is fun."

_He's not dead. He can't be._ The gnome made him raise his hand and looked through his eyes on his fingers, flexing them. "I like you… your body. Your brother's too… well _liked_ it anyway." Sam had never heard his own voice sound quite so poisonous but smug at the same time. _Dean is NOT dead… demons lie. _And that thing – whatever it was surely did too. "You're well trained. The things I can do with you… it's a pity for your brother though." _Shut up._

"I mean let that potential go to waste…" _Shut up._

"Your fault though, not mine. I would have kept him…" _Shut up! _"…as long as it would still be entertaining. I might have felt in the mood for something different sometime later." It/he sighed. "Well no point talking anymore – too late." _SHUT UP!_

---

-**anna**-

_Sam felt himself move. _

"_As soon as we find the body of your brother… wanna salt and burn him… well… we wanna salt and burn him?" _

No_! __Sam tried to fight the invisible force. He wouldn't lose anybody else in a fire… never again. But there was no way to fight it. He was obviously on the way to the motel. __This crappy monster would die… a painful death._

"_I wouldn't say so." He heard his own voice snarl. _Terrific that gnome can read thoughts_._

"_Of course I can. I'm you, boy…" A chuckle escaped his mouth. "Your brother had some interesting thoughts. It's a pity that he is dead… but that's your fault." _

"_**Shut up!**__" Sam winced. It came out loud… through his mouth. _

"_Woha… you're better than your brother. He tried that, too." The gnome didn't sound surprised. It was just a statement. "Well… you're a little bit bitchy… you know that?"_

---

_-_**tanne**-

Sam let it talk. He tried to think of the numerous times demons had lied to them.

"There's no point worrying now", the gnome said. It paused for a moment in front of the motel room and Sam felt his lips twist into a smile as the door finally swung inwards. It was so sure of itself…

Dean was still on the chair- in exactly the same position Sam had left him in, the… wait. Something was different. Dean's arm was splinted… his broken arm was splinted. Why would…?

"Wanna take a pulse?", the gnome asked. It stepped closer, extending his, Sam's, hand.

Sam didn't listen. The ties were… loose. Sam knew exactly how to tie a person up. He was absolutely positive he hadn't left them that way. A vague suspicion rose in his mind… which was only confirmed when his supposedly dead brother jumped up before he/the gnome could touch him and pinned him against the wall. "Heya Sammy", Dean smirked, wincing slightly when holding him in place put a strain on his injured arm. He stepped back, revealing something that was similar to a devil's trap on the ceiling. "You're dead", the gnome whispered, "I… I felt your heart stop beating…" It lunged at him but was stopped by an invisible barrier.

Dean just smiled, nodding into the corner of the room where another man had hid in the shadows. Bobby held up a dead rabbit. "You felt the rabbit's heart stop", he said, smirking. "Nice meeting you by the way… I've never seen a pond gnome before... still - I know now how to kill you."

---

-**anna**-

"_You do?" Sam's voice was barley a whisper, when the gnome talked to Bobby. "…Without killing my precious host?" _

"_Let's try." Bobby nodded, searching for his book. "Here it is… so… Dean I need some holy water." _

"_You're gonna kill your little brother." The gnome snarled._

_That's not true!__ Sam again wasn't able to talk loudly. __This can't be true!__ He tried to lock eyes with his brother, comforting him to go on, but Dean was looking at Bobby. _

"_Bobby…you sure we can't find another way?" Dean's hands were trembling when he handed the older hunter the holy water. He had seen too many hosts die whenever they've done an exorcism. _

"_He's lying, boy…" Bobby turned around and pointed at Sam. "This isn't your brother." _

"_I know… I've just been possessed myself." Dean voice rose ever so slightly._

"_Trust me, Dean." Bobby's eyes softened and Dean nodded. _

"_Very well then, kill me… but I'm taking your brother with me." The gnome had panic in his voice, while Bobby prepared the poison that would kill it. "I would leave you alone if you just let me free." _

_Dean walked up to his brother. "I'm gonna kill you… but I swear my brother's gonna stay alive." _

"_Here… give that to him." Bobby handed the liquid to Dean, who held the glass to his brother's lips and let him drink._

_Immediately Sam started to toss his head around and to spit blood, the gnome in him crying out in pain. _

"_Bobby…" _

"_That's wrong… that isn't supposed to happen." Bobby looked at Dean, who stopped pouring in the poison into his brother's body. _

"_What do you mean… that isn't supposed to happen?"_

---

-**tanne-**

"I…", Bobby swallowed. "It shouldn't hurt him."

Dean's look darted back and forth between Bobby and Sam, panic evident in green eyes. "How do we stop it then?"

Sam breathed harder; feeling lightheaded, blood already trickling down his chin.

"Dean…"

Dean grabbed Bobby by his shirt-collar and shook him violently. "Stop it!", he shouted. The terror in Dean's voice made Sam feel even more anxious than he already was, fighting for his breath, watching his blood form a small puddle in front of his feet. He felt the gnome in him trash around in agony, sending white waves of pain into his skull. Was it… speaking the truth after all? Was he going to die with it?

"Bobby!"

Bobby remained silent and Dean's hands fell limply to his sides. "You don't know?", Dean whispered.

"No", Bobby muttered, looking defeated, terrified and sorry all at once.

"Then… we transfer it! Like we did with me and the rabbit!"

"Sure! Get me another rabbit then", Bobby barked. "And I told you it can only be killed in a human vessel!"

Sam felt dizzy, not being able to follow the conversation anymore. Back spots dancing in front of his vision – he was losing consciousness.

"Take me", he heard Dean say, while he fought hard to defy the tempting darkness.

---

_-_**anna**_-_

"_Don't make me decide between you two… don't dare…" Bobby gesticulated harshly with his hands. _

"_That's not your decision… it's mine… we won't let Sam die… so that's the only way out." While Dean's voice was harsh, his eyes were pleading. _

"_No Dean." Bobby shook his head. "You can't ask that from me."_

"_Bastard!" Dean shoved Bobby back, before he turned around to head to his brother, gripping the dagger Bobby had used to kill the rabbit from the table. _

_Standing on a chair he scratching off part of the sign drawn to the ceiling, holding Sam upright with his good arm, preventing him from falling to the ground. _

_As soon as__ the sign, which kept the gnome from escaping was broken, Sam's legs gave in. Dean got off the chair and lowered him gently to the ground. _

_Both older hunters winced when Sam cried out tormented… and the gnome escaped. _

"_Sammy…" Dean patted his cheek, kneeling closer beside him. "Come on Sam." _

"_Please", his brother begged and then Sam began to cough_

_._---

**SNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSNSN**

**I just wanted to say that I … DIDN'T WANT TO KILL THE rabbit. :) That was Tanne!**

**Reviews please**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys thank you so much ****fort he reviews… love you all for them.**

-**tanne**-

"Sam?"

Sam felt Dean shake him roughly. He could hear his brother's worry even in just this single word, now tinged just a little with hope though. "Hey Sammy. Time to open your eyes, bro."

Sam couldn't help but obey to his brother's encouraging words. He succeeded in the seemingly enormous task of lifting his eyelids. Blinking a few times, he sucked in deep breaths and finally saw relief flood his elder brother's face. "Dammit Sammy, you scared me", Dean whispered, barely audible. "You okay?"

"Been better", Sam croaked.

Bobby knelt beside them, searching Sam's body methodically for any injuries. "Are you hurt?"

Sam shook his head, pondering. "I don't think so."

"You were choking on your own blood, boy", Bobby growled, making Dean wince slightly.

"Sam, you sure you're alright?", he asked as well now.

"I'm fine. I guess…" The worry in Dean's eyes didn't seem to fade when his brother scrutinized him thoroughly, not saying a word. Sam saw Bobby lay his arm on Dean's shoulder, offering silent support. "I think he's okay, Dean. Maybe he just bit his tongue or something."

"Show me your tongue then", Dean ordered, eyes never leaving Sam's frame.

"Leave you brother alone, Dean", Bobby interrupted quietly, not letting Sam any time to protest himself.

"But…"

"I don't look that bad, do I?", Sam finally asked.

Dean lips quirked slightly. "Actually…" He managed a smile, using his sleeve to gently wipe the blood of Sam's chin. "Better now", he said. "As good as it can get anyway."

---

-**anna-**

"_Well then…", Dean said after a short pause, "we still have a hunt to finish." Dean wanted to end the embarrassing moment, standing up. He reached down, offering Sam a hand. "Come on kiddo, up you go." _

_Sam gratefully took the hand, letting him lift onto wobbling legs. He didn't felt too good anyway, the room spinning. _

"_Hey Sam… you sure you're _really_ okay?" Dean shot Bobby a hard glare, holding Sam upright with an arm around his brother's waist._

"_Yeah… just give me a moment… sorry." Sam closed his eyes, until he was sure that he was able to stand on his own, what seemed almost impossible just now. _

"_Dean…" Bobby began but was cut off by Dean yelling at him: "If it wasn't for you, he would be healthy right now… so just shut up for a moment." Dean settled his brother down on one of the beds, leaving a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam looked up at his brother. He had never heard him talk to Bobby like that. _

"_Dean… I get that you're mad…", Bobby began but was interrupted. _

"_I'm not mad… I'm furious", Dean shouted at him. "Sam could have died because you skipped the fact that the vessel might not make it." _

"_Don't talk to him like that." Sam tried to shrug Dean's hand off. _

"_I'm sorry, Dean. I am, okay? It was stupid to feed Sam of all people the poison, I should have known and believe me, I would have never been able to forgive myself if you'd lost your brother because of me, but how much of a choice did we have?" Bobby pointed at Sam. "He's free now, Dean. And since the gnome escaped, we need to concentrate on the hunt."_

_---_

-**tanne-**

"You're right." Dean closed his eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths, and finally managed to catch his composure again. "I'm sorry, Bobby", he whispered, "I didn't mean to…"

Bobby grimaced, waving his hand dismissively.

"If it wasn't for you…"

"Just forget about it, boy."

Dean nodded and Sam couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He cleared his throat and let his gaze wander between his brother and the elder hunter, interrupting the quiet moment that passed between the two men. "Well? What are we going to do about the gnome?"

Bobby lifted his baseball cap a little and scratched his head. "Well we gotta find it, for starters."

"So if you were a pond gnome… where would you go?", Dean asked, question not directed at anybody in particular.

Bobby sighed. "Honestly? I haven't got a clue."

"Why did killing it went wrong anyway?", Sam asked, searching for a more comfortable position on the hard mattress.

"It's just a guess…", Bobby began.

"Spill", Dean urged.

"I think it's supposed to _heal_ its host and the devil's trap prevented it from doing so. You said Sam broke your arm, didn't you?", Bobby asked Dean. "That's why I splinted it in the first place. But why can you still use it without difficulties then?"

Dean looked down at his arm, utterly stunned. "Well it _does _hurt like a bitch."

"That's not my point", Bobby said. Sam watched Dean take off the splint in astonishment and his brother moving his arm as if nothing had ever happened. "Well I'll be damned."

Bobby nodded, satisfied. He walked up to Sam and removed the bandage Dean/the gnome had put on his head beforehand. "See?", he said, motioning at Sam's unblemished skin, "no wound. The gnome healed your brother the moment you destroyed the devil's trap, Dean. That's why he's still alive."

---

-**anna-**

"_You mean I'm supposed feel _thankful_ to that son of a bitch?" Dean asked, eyeing his brother. "Don't answer to that… so? What now? We're literally back to square one." _

"_Not really… we know what it can do… so we have better chances." Bobby gave Dean an encouraging smile. _

"_And we've got Bobby now." Sam stated. _

"_I guess… but we still need a human vessel that we can kill… and that's gonna be kind of a problem." Dean paced the room._

"_Yeah… actually that's really gonna be a problem." Bobby sat down on a chair, supporting his arms on his legs. _

"_Bobby… a human vessel… right?" Sam looked up, regretting having made a fast movement. "We need a human host to kill the gnome but the vessel is going to die… right?" _

"_What's your point, Sammy?", Dean asked, annoyance in his voice. "Don't even think about offering yourself – I swear I'm gonna kill you if you do so."_

"_No… no… no… I wouldn't even think about that…" That wasn't completely true. He would - under special circumstances, but this wasn't one of them. _

"_Spit it out, Sam… what're you thinking?" Bobby pushed. _

"_We could lure it into a morgue", Sam suggested. "There are human bodies. We wouldn't have to kill anybody - these vessels are already dead. Bobby can transfer the gnome into one of the bodies. And if we take a wounded body we could even pour the poison into the wounds."_

"_I know why I kept you when we were younger", Dean joked, patting Sam's back. Sam rolled his eyes at him. _

"_That sounds smart and all… but how are we going to get it into a morgue?" Bobby asked, raising his thick brows. Sam could tell that the man liked his idea… and it might even work. _

_---_

-**tanne-**

Dean kicked at a stone in frustration. "Sam, I don't think this is gonna work."

Bobby smiled. "Actually, I think your brother is right."

"But why would it be that stupid and want to get _revenge_. If it was me I'd bail as soon as I was out of my current meat suit."

Sam grinned in the dark even though he knew Dean couldn't see it. "No, you wouldn't."

"And a demon won't either", Bobby added. "I thought you'd have as much experience."

Dean muttered something inaudible and glared at his surroundings. "Why're we back in the sewers anyway?"

"Because that's where we've seen it the last time", Sam said quietly.

Dean snorted, not seeming satisfied at all. "We've last seen it… when it left _you."_

"It's _real_ form", Bobby corrected, "won't leave here. Not 'til nightfall because it's vulnerable to sun light."

"It really _is_ vulnerable to fire then?" Sam asked, somewhat taken aback.

"And maybe it just wanted to confuse you." Bobby shrugged. "What does it matter? It won't leave here and we can't make it."

"If that's its _real_ form why don't we gank it directly then?", Dean muttered.

"Because - as you're already very well aware of – we can't hurt it. Not as long as we're physical beings", Bobby rolled his eyes at Dean. "Its real form is like a ghost, Dean. You know that. We can't kill it unless we go through its host."

"And we're here because…?"

"Because it needs physical contact to be able to possess anything. We're making it easier for it." Sam smiled grimly. "We don't know who of us it will be possessing, Dean, be careful. It might just attack us with water but wanting to make us suffer it won't kill us. Water is its element. It _is_ water. When you get wet it can possess you."

---

-**anna-**

"_It better not possesses you again." Dean looked at his little brother only half-joking. _

"_Well… think positive… it heals my body when he is out again." Sam grinned at the older Winchester. _

"_Sam... you're not helping at a-… BOBBY!" Dean shouted, when the oldest hunter suddenly flew against one of the walls._

_Both brothers were immediately at Bobby's side, who was shaking his head, like he wanted to get rid of a head-ache or a nasty nightmare. "I'm okay… where is it?" _

"_I didn't think you would come back." Sam winced when he couldn't determine the origin of the voice. "But I don't mind at all… you boys are nice toys." _

"_Oh kill me right now… the gnome is speaking in rhymes." Dean helped Bobby up._

"_We could arrange that." The monster appeared ghostlike in front of them, smirking at them. _

Don't fight it._ It was against everything Sam had learned… playing a human ping-pong ball for the gnome, but they needed one of them possessed. _

_A pained huff beside him made Sam turn around, just to see Dean being hit by a jet of water, flying through the air._

_Sam watched Dean get onto his feet again. "Bastard." Dean obviously whispered, though Sam just saw his older brother mouth the word. _

Don't do anything stupid_.__ Sam thought, but he couldn't do anything when he was the third man who was thrown through the air. Right into the water. __Oh god… __that was terrible. Sam could feel the stinking water soak into his clothes._

_A tormented shout cut through the air next. __Dean__. Sam got up quickly. Dean was lying face down in the water, struggling against an invisible force, with was holding him down. _

The gnome won't kill one of us._Sam tried to hold onto that thought. _

_And really Dean stopped tossing a few seconds later, standing up, shooting a smug smile to his brother._

_---_

-**tanne-**

Sure that someone of them _had_ to be possessed by now, they headed for the morgue. Sam couldn't feel it in him so he guessed it had to be Bobby or Dean. He watched his friends warily, not sure who of them he could trust.

They had set up everything at the morgue before, devil's trap and everything, which they had agreed on entering to find out who the gnome was possessing. Dean volunteered on going in first, exiting without difficulties, next was Bobby who didn't hesitate as well. Sam began wondering if the gnome might be able to possess somebody without the person noticing it and if he might even be the one it chose this time, when he noticed Bobby hadn't made any move to exit the circle. Dean and Sam exchanged knowing glances.

Bobby had made them both learn the ritual by heart, which was a good idea as proved now. They had set up the body as well with the poison and everything, but when Dean opened his mouth to begin the incantation, they noticed the knife in the gnome's hand. "You know you're not gonna be able to hurt us with that", Dean smiled, "not even being able to get out."

The gnome/Bobby smiled. "Not you." It raised the knife to his/Bobby's heart. "Make one move on me and I'm gonna kill your friend", it said.

"Son of a bitch", Dean hissed. "If you hurt him, I swear…"

"What?" The gnome laughed. It lowered the knife a little. Dean exhaled, seeming relieved but then it picked the knife up again, plunging it into Bobby's stomach. Sam cried out in terror and while he saw that the wound was not necessarily fatal it certainly was serious.

"Leave him alone, dammit", Dean cried.

"You see now", the gnome said smugly, Bobby's blood dripping on the floor, "that I'm serious."

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	4. Chapter 4

**So… last part of our story**

**Thanks for the reviews. We're glad you enjoyed the story.**

**-anna-**

_Sam ran a hand through his hair. Opening the devil__'s trap would mean that the gnome would heal their friend, but escape again. He shot Dean a glance, searching for help, Dean always knew what to do. _

_But this time it was about Bobby's life. His older brother looked just as lost as Sam. _

"_I__t seems like you don't know how serious I am…" Bobby/the gnome lifted the knife again. _

"_Stop", Sam shouted. "I'll let you out."_

"_Wait Sam." Dean got a tight grip on his brother's arm. When Sam turned around he could see the agony and the pain in his brother's eyes. "It can only get worse… it will hunt us and it's gonna track us down." _

"_Dean… it's Bobby." Sam gazed into his brother's eyes, wishing him to fix all this. _

"_I know it's Bobby…" Dean countered, voice rising. Sam saw something in Dean's eyes that gave him a little strength. He nodded, heading over to the prepared altar where the body was laying._

_With trembling hands and a last glance at his friend, the brothers went to work, ignoring the words of the gnome. Sam recited the spell that would transfer the gnome into the body. _

"_Boys… please… you're gonna kill me." Bobby suddenly pleaded, making both Winchesters wince slightly. _

"_Dean…" Sam looked up, stopping the reciting. _

"_He's tricking us… don't stop Sam__", Dean ordered. _

"_Sammy", he urged, his voice harder, when his brother didn't obey. "Finish it." _

_Gathering all his courage Sam covered his ears, closing his eyes and began to recite again. Bobby would somehow make it. They would kill the gnome and bring Bobby into a hospital. He would survive_. He would.

_Ending the __incantation, Sam couldn't possible ignore the cry of pain Bobby let out, when the gnome left his body. "Dean..." Sam looked at his brother, who was staring at the corpse they had prepared. It began to move as if in pain. The thing was dying._

_---_

-**tanne-**

Dean seemed to have difficulties tearing his gaze of the convulsing body on the table, but when it finally laid still he joined Sam at Bobby's side instantly. "Bobby?", Dean croaked, reaching out for the older hunter's pulse point. Bobby's eyes fluttered open before Dean could touch him.

Wheezing the man managed a weak smile. "I knew you two would be the death of me", he whispered.

Sam saw his brother's jaw clench in worry. "Save you strength", he ordered. "We'll get you to the hospital. You'll be fine."

Sam grasped reflexively at Bobby's hand when his friend's face got even whiter than before, his eyes losing their focus. Bobby was barely holding on to consciousness. "Stay with us, Bobby."

"We've got to stem the blood flow", Dean muttered urgently, taking off his own flannel shirt and pressing it against the wound. That evoked a groan from Bobby and cursing from Dean when his hands came back red with blood. "Shit!"

"'S it dead?", Bobby slurred.

Sam followed Dean's gaze, looking at the body they had transferred the gnome in. It was blackening quickly as if charring. The sickening smell of burning flesh spread quickly in the small room. Sam felt nauseous, unable to speak. "Yeah it's dead", Dean finally answered returning to his work quickly.

"That's good", Bobby muttered, eyes beginning to drift closed again. "You… did well, boys."

"No… no! Don't you do this", Dean snarled, patting Bobby's cheek in a not so gentle manner. "Look at me, Bobby! You'll be fine, don't you say otherwise. Because if you… if you… it would be _my _fault! Dammit, open your eyes!"

"…not your fault… did well…"

Bobby didn't open his eyes again.

"Dean… is he…?"

"No!"

Frantically Dean looked for a pulse and seemed only slightly relieved when he found one. "He's fading, Sam", he whispered, "we've got to get him into a hospital. Now!"

---

-**anna**-

"_Call 911", Dean urged, but Sam was in a frozen stupor, looking at Bobby, squeezing the older man's hand tightly. "Sam!" _

"_Okay." Sam nodded, laying Bobby's hand down at the ground. His hands were shaking when he tried to get his phone out of his jeans pocket._

"_Sammy." Dean lifted the hand he had on Bobby's cheek and deposited it on Sam's shoulder. "Stay calm… please… Bobby needs us." Sam took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, searching comfort in his brother's green eyes, before he regained his compose and grabbed for the cell again before realizing that he had gotten rid of it before. Without another word, Sam fetched Bobby's cell out of the older hunter's pocket instead, dialing quickly. He was running on auto-pilot when he talked to the woman on the other end of the line. They would send somebody._

They would send somebody.

"_Dean, __we need to get Bobby out of here… the authorities won't be too happy seeing that charred body." Sam gave his brother a pointed look. _

"_You're right… take his feet, I'm taking his arms." Dean gripped his friend's shoulders, gathering him up. "Sam." Sam just stood there, looking at Bobby. They couldn't just carry Bobby outside… It felt like defiling the man's pride._

"_Sam… I need your help!", Dean urged and finally something snapped in Sam. He gripped Bobby's legs. _

_Outside Dean laid Bobby down on the pavement. "Sam… try to get him awake." _

_With that Dean stood__, the knife the gnome had used before in his hands. "What are you doing?" Sam asked, kneeling down beside Bobby taking his head in his lap. His fingers reached automatically for his friend's pulse point. _

"_Getting rid of that__… we're just gonna say that… some mugger's attacked him and we found him like that." Dean looked around, till he saw a drain on the side of the road. He let the dagger fall into it, letting out a sigh._

"_Dean… his pulse is weak… I don't know if he's gonna make it." Sam looked up at his brother, who was standing over them. _

"_Don't say something like that." Dean glared at Sam. _

"_We just can't just cherish wrong hopes, he's…" The younger Winchester looked down at Bobby's face, his own twisting in pain. _

"_Shut up!__"_

---

-**tanne-**

"Shut up…", Dean said again, much more quiet this time. "We can't just…" He shook his head fiercely. "Bobby will make it. Nothing can bring _him _down."

_Except something just did_, Sam thought but seeing the agony in his brother's eyes he kept to himself.

They could already hear the sirens in the distance. Dean quickly went to meet them, to show them the exact way. Because they couldn't lose any more time. They had too little already…

Sam again pressed Bobby's jugular, feeling the far too weak throbbing beneath his fingers. Taking a shaking breath he took Bobby's hand in his own again until Dean came up with the medics and they took him from them. Sam didn't understand much of medical lingo but he did get that Bobby's condition was serious.

They went after the ambulance car with the Impala, not wanting to leave the conspicuous car behind in case the police found the body. Sam watched his brother grip the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles went white. Every once in a while Sam heard him cuss but aside from that neither brother felt like talking. They waited for what seemed like hours until some doctor finally walked up to them. "Mr. Salomon?"

Dean rose quickly. "That's me… Doctor, how is my uncle?"

---

-**anna-**

"_He's fine… still unconscious __after surgery, but he'll make it." The doctor smiled. "He's gonna be in bed for a while, but in some time he will be okay. Do you want to see him?" _

_Dean followed the doctor wordlessly; Sam stood quickly, following his brother's example, hurrying after them. _

_Entering the room, Dean clenched his fists, his jaw working. Sam bit his lip. Dean looked upset and Sam had the feeling that he wasn't angry at the gnome or at Bobby… but at himself. Dean would do that, getting utterly mad at himself without any forgiveness at all._

"_I'm gonna leave you alone for a while." The doctor nodded goodbye and left. _

_Bobby looked terrible. He was pale and had the blanket tucked up to his chin. He looked small, old… dead. _

"_Hey Bobby." Sam moved to the bed first, his brother still near the door, frozen. "We're glad you're better", he said quietly to the sleeping man. "Now you just have to wake up for us." _

"_I'll be back soon. I'll get some coffee", Dean announced from the door. Sam shot him a look. Dean looked beaten. He needed sleep._

_Sam huffed, sitting down on one of the chairs. "Hey Bobby, do me a favor, would you? Wake up and beat into Dean that this isn't his fault."_

_---_

-**tanne-**

"Dean!"

Sam jerked upwards at the harsh word, blinking rapidly at his white surroundings and the much too bright light. He must have fallen asleep, waiting for Bobby to come to. _Bobby_…! Remembering what had woken him in the first place, he turned his head instantly, confirming what he'd already suspected before. "Bobby! You're awake!"

The older man still looked a little pale but he managed to toss Sam a smirk, winking. "And I see you've finally decided to join the party, sleeping beauty."

Sam rolled his eyes at that, then, not getting the teasing remark he expected from Dean, his eyes came to rest on his brother's rigid form, frowning. Dean watched him wearily out of the corners of his own, sighing when he noticed Sam's gaze, already knowing what was bound to come next. "I'm _fine_, Sam. I would've tried to get some shut-eye myself but someone _had_ to watch over Bobby after all, since you were out like a light. But hey – that's why some smart guy invented coffee." Dean smiled slightly, still there was something to his eyes...but it was gone as soon as it had come. Sam wondered if he was seeing things but then he saw Bobby scowling at his brother. "Dean. Get a grip on yourself! I told you not to worry about it!" So Bobby had somehow heard his request after all.

"I'm not worrying about anything", Dean growled, a warning edge to his voice. Sam could tell how badly his brother wanted to drop the subject. But he knew too that Bobby wasn't going to. The older hunter just looked at Dean for a long time with his piercing blue eyes and surprisingly Dean caved.

---

-**anna**-

"_Okay… okay… don't look at me like this." Dean snarled, glaring at Bobby. Sam thought about leaving the room, feeling the tension between his brother and the older hunter. When he stood up, though__, to head for the door, two strong voices urged him to sit down again. "Okay." Sam whispered, sitting back down on the chair. _

"_So… spit it out… what's up?" Bobby asked. "Why can't you accept that none of this was your fault?" _

"_Because it _was_ my fault, Bobby." Dean hissed, his eyes pleading the others to understand. _

"_Well fine, it's due to you that I'm still alive and the gnome isn't", Bobby turned the tables. Dean titled his head and huffed. Sam could almost hear him curse under his breath. "Dean…" Bobby's voice was softer now. "What would have happened if you destroyed that devils trap?" _

"_Bobby… that's stupid. I'm not a kid, so don't talk to me like that." Dean ran a hand through his hair. _

"_Answer my question." Bobby ordered. _

"_I don't know… you would be without a scratch… we wouldn't be sitting in a hospital… we wouldn't have thought that you might DIE." Dean winced when he said it out loud. Sam looked at his older brother. He looked terrible… coffee wasn't helping as much as Dean said. _

"_B__ut the gnome would be free", Bobby lectured and tried to sit up straighter. _

"_Take it easy, Bobby." Dean rushed to the older hunter's side, seeing that Bobby's movement took more effort than he let on. _

"_Thanks__", Bobby breathed, when Dean helped lay down again. "Boy… everything worked out just fine… we're hunters… I had worse… and what doesn't kill us…" _

"_Don't feed me that crap… what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. Bobby… you nearly died… we could have killed that gnome a little later, without bringing you in danger."_

---

**-tanne-**

"We did take that chance though", Sam interrupted, "and it worked out fine, didn't it?"

Dean shot a glare at his brother that would have any other person wilted. "You don't know nothing, Sam! Know what happened in the ambulance car? Because I talked to his doctor. They had to reanimate him. And not just once but two times! They said if they had arrived just 5 minutes later he would have been beyond repair. Five friggin' minutes, Sam!"

Bobby lowered his eyes to the floor and Sam swallowed thickly. "But still…", he managed finally, "it isn't your fault…"

Bobby interrupted. "If anybody is at fault here it's _myself_, boy. Demons don't choose their vessels randomly, we all know that. It goes for the one distracted the most and that was me. I was still upset about the mistake I'd made before, thinking about what-ifs and other crap. I was being stupid and I paid the price, that's how the job works. And I'm glad you did what you did, Dean, because I'd never been able to forgive myself if you or Sam had been hurt because of me. It _was_ going to track you down, you and Sam, and eventually…", Bobby winced slightly, "anyway, it was the right and most reasonable thing to do, so don't you go blaming _anything_ on yourself."

Dean looked utterly stunned at that, seemingly not able to get out any other word.

"And now go get some sleep", Bobby continued, "you look like crap."

Dean opened his mouth to protest but then closed it again, looking at Sam, who nodded, telling his brother he would stay.

"I won't be long though", Dean said finally. He started for the door, turning one last time. "I'll go get something to eat when I'm back. Want anything particular? God I'm _hungry._"

Sam smiled at that. Things weren't back to normal just yet but with Bobby on the mend and his brother again thinking about food they soon would be.

---

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